The Hundred in the Hands are back in the fold
Second album looks set to impress
Following what appeared to be an indefinite hiatus after the release of their eponymous debut in 2010, The Hundred in the Hands are back on the scene. And while that said debut managed to rapidly rack up favourable reviews from the likes of Pitchfork and Metacritic, it looks as though we can expect much more from their forthcoming second album Red Night, which gets released next month.
As with all great electropop duos, Eleanore Everdell (vocals) and Jason Friedman (beats) have a brilliant synergy that they manage to maintain throughout their tracks. As far as production is concerned, think of those beloved twinkles that made Jamie xx a buzzword, but with a side order of amphetamines fed to the BPM that invokes constant foot-tapping. While sceptics were initially dubious about Everdell’s vocal abilities, any such reservations will probably subside once they hear the new material: she manages to brilliantly capture the elegance of Lykke Li, but also kick things up to Karen O when the crescendo calls for it. Combined, the duo have managed to create some brilliant tracks, the lyrics of which carry their appeal even further.
While THITH have managed to maintain a place in the hearts and iTunes libraries of those who stumbled across their debut, I have a hunch that their new material is going to be big on the blogosphere and beyond. At a time when people are becoming increasingly disgruntled with electronic music that is so fixated on a ‘drop' (at that beloved 55 second mark, no doubt), people are all ears for the more ambient artists that offer you a massage, not a massacre. If The xx, Grimes or Purity Ring are your sort of thing, THITH are certainly one to add to your repertoire.
Want to see The Hundred in the Hands live? Catch them at White Heat, Madame JoJo’s weekly indie club night, on Tuesday 29 May, with support from Young Man. Tickets are £7 and available from whiteheatmayfair.com.
